Cobalt Aquatics Neo-therm Heater

Hello all,

It's been a while (again) since I've been online. New job and a move to a new house, things are finally starting to get settled. I am looking to upgrade some equipment on my 60 gallon Freshwater and am looking for some recommendations/opinions on a new heater.

I started off with a Fluval E300 series when I first started this tank about a year ago. Low and behold I find out in the middle of last winter the heater was defective- the display read 80F, actual tank temp 75F. After some back and forth with Fluval they send me a replacement heater. I added a back up heater just in case; lesson learned the first time. Fast forward to a few days ago and I check the temp to verify the Fluval readout, much to my chagrin the heater is defective-again. This time I email Fluval and request a refund as I do not trust this brand heater any longer. Surprisingly they acquiesced and are refunding me, and paying for me to ship it back.

So no I am looking for recommendations on a trusty heater. The tank is located in the basement so it stays fairly cool down there. The temp averages between 66-70 so far, I am assuming it will be a little cooler in the winter months. That said, I realize I'm looking for a heater with a little more power to it to keep up with the chill.

I have heard good things about Cobalt Aquatics Neo-therm heaters and my favorite LFS runs them in all their tanks with good results. I like the accuracy within .5 degrees and the slI'm profile. Looking at their website it recommends for a 55gal tank their 200 watt heater. The next size listed is a 70gal and it recommends a 200 watt plus an additional 50 watt. Since my tank is in the middle and in a cooler area of the house I was thinking I should go with the latter recommendation. Amazon right now has a pretty good price for a 200 watt and 75 watt, so a little higher power than recommended by the manufacturer but worth it?

Has anyone used Neo-therm heaters before, and if so any pros/cons I should know about? Any other brand suggestions? I've used Eheim before but to be honest the calibration was frustrating.

 

Cobalt NeoTherms are supposed to be great heaters but very expensive. I have an Aqueon Pro 250w in my 75 gallon and it works great. Most heater markings are suggestions and you should check with a thermometer for actual temp. As long as the heater keeps the tank within 1°F, it's accurate. Tank circulation also affects heater performance. I keep my heaters near the filter intakes for better heat distribution.

I also have a 200w Pro in a 40b and a 150w Pro in a 20 gallon long. I have 2 100w Aqueon (regulars) in a 20 gallon long shrimp tank and 10 gallon QT and they all work great.

 

I've heard good things about the Aqueon's as well, I will definitely check them out. I'm running an AC110 and a FX6 with a custom spray bar on the tank, both heaters are located underneath the outputs to each filter. I'm pretty dissapointed with Fluval as a whole with this ordeal. Two defective heaters within 8 months.

 

Ended up going with two Aqueon Pro’s- a 250 watt and 50 watt. Read a lot of good reviews and the lifetime warranty is nice.

 

I'm a Fluval fanboy but after reading some reviews on their heaters, I looked for something else. I read somewhere that the current production of Aqueon Pros are the most reliable because they're made in a factory that is known for quality builds (or something like that). I also like the lifetime warranty. I have 2 regular Aqueon heaters because 1 was on sale with coupon for $10 and it was for a QT and the other was a Petsmart warranty replacement for 2 TopFin heaters that failed.

 

I'm a Fluval fanboy but after reading some reviews on their heaters, I looked for something else. I read somewhere that the current production of Aqueon Pros are the most reliable because they're made in a factory that is known for quality builds (or something like that). I also like the lifetime warranty. I have 2 regular Aqueon heaters because 1 was on sale with coupon for $10 and it was for a QT and the other was a Petsmart warranty replacement for 2 TopFin heaters that failed.

I'm the same way with Fluval, have an FX6 and Aquasky light and always highly recommended the brand. After two defective heaters though I am disappointed. Good to know about the Aqueons though, I'm looking forward to getting them setup. Should be here Thursday and Friday but the holiday might delay delivery.

 

Aqueon Pros are by far the best heaters on the market right now, at least in my opinion. Cobalt neotherms are good, but like double the price, Aqueon Pros are wicked cheap for the quality your getting. Just make sure you buy them online and not in store.

 

Got a great deal on Amazon, saved about $25. Pretty happy with the Aqueons so far. Temp is about 1 degree within set temperature.

I liked the Neotherms but couldn’t justify the price. The Aqueons were highly recommended and the lifetime warranty is a nice feature.

 

My Aqueon Pro can't maintain the set temp. Heater are hit or miss in my experience. Glad your's seems to be working.

 

My Aqueon Pro can't maintain the set temp. Heater are hit or miss in my experience. Glad your's seems to be working.

It could be that your tank doesn't have proper circulation.

 

It could be that your tank doesn't have proper circulation.

When I said can't maintain, I meant the water temperature varies. For example, sometimes I'm like wow, the water feels a little cool, and other times I'm like **** it's warm, like bath water.

Water circulation should be sufficient. There is a constant ripple on the surface. I have my HOB on the maximum flow (spec'd for up to 30 gallons), an Eheim skimmer on the opposite corner, and an air stone on an adjacent corner.